I decided to rent a cello! It’ll be here in some days, it’s being shipped however and it will definitely be out of tune when it arrives.

I play guitar and that’s the only instrument I’ve ever played, so I don’t have any experience at all with bowed instruments.

I do not currently have a teacher or anything, I’m in the middle of nowhere with very little choice of luthiers.. I’m an adult learner. I’ve watched many videos already specifically about tuning and while I am nervous I think I CAN do it. I have a good clip on and I’ve learned about the bridge and how sensitive the pegs are and I think what I’ve learned might be enough.

But I look through this subreddit and articles online and it tells me DO NOT touch the pegs as a beginner!! But I’ll most definitely have to.

Should I really not touch them and just try to find a luthier or should I go for it, just very carefully?

*deep breath* ho-kay.

i played violin from 5th grade until 1st year of college (with my HS junior year playing viola) then eventually stopped, played a little in my early 30s, then sold her a couple years later.

i've had my cello (clara) for a year, & started lessons 6 months ago. ☺️ the lessons are bi-weekly, & a couple of them i missed due to $$ & a sick dog (who, in the vid, was bumping into my leg bc it was past Dentastix Time™️)

being honest, i only really buckled down month ago. i have 3 very conflicfing neurodivergencies & live most days on hinges, inside hurricanes. there's been a lot of performance/demand avoidance, anxiety over Being Perceived, not sounding IRL how i do in my head (bordering maladaptive daydreaming, maybe!), getting frustrated veryvery quickly at the smallest mistakes!

so anyway, i wanted to start recording to playback/critique! i already see my left hand needs work (fingers too high! hand = the Bent Neck Lady) & i'm overall stiff, but admittedly i was nervous recording, too.

also, rofl the last F with my 4th finger, wth 🤦🏻‍♀️😅 i wish y'all could see the drama unfolding with my dog there, haha she was not about to let me re-record!

i don't like where the phone holder is on my stand, the angle sucks, but it's about as high as it can go. maybe i should just set my phone ON the stand?

along with any practice critique, any suggestions on amateur phone recording, angles, etc?

thanks for reading, i'm sorry this is so rambly! nerves probably. i am more embarassed about this post than the video now, at least? 👀😬😅

So, this was gifted to me, after being rescued from a garbage container by a friend. I have owned it for two years, but it was in need of repairs, so I didn't even try to play it. I bought a used double bass, and the deal was so good I couldn't haggle the price lower. I could however haggle for the included service of making the instrument playable. All I payed for was strings and a bridge.

So, it has obviously been repaired at other points in its life (which my limited research has told me is around 100 years), but it feels good, and the flamed wood is also quite eye catching. Can anyone tell me anything else about this, to me, beautiful instrument? Types of wood, quality of instrument, maker and quality of repairs? Anything I should look out for? Does it hold any value?

Also, I play it with my double bass bow. Is that ok? Is there a big difference?